After the New York Giants cut guard Geoff Schwartz and offensive tackle Will Beatty, they could be in the market to add a quality offensive lineman through free agency. Luckily for the Giants there are a few options which can be considered upgrades, and they have the cap room to make some significant moves.
The cuts of Beatty, Schwartz and linebacker Jon Beason will give the Giants a little over $50 million in cap space. The Giants will also try to restructure the contract of wide receiver Victor Cruz which could net them even more savings. They do have quite a few roster spots to fill with 29 free agents of all types needing to be re-signed or replaced, and that was before the cuts of Beason, Beatty and Schwartz. One player who could be brought in to bolster the offensive line is the brother of one of those just cut.
Mitchell Schwartz has never missed a snap since entering the NFL in 2012. Not one snap. Of course, he is the brother of Geoff Schwartz who was just cut, but football is a business so it shouldn’t play a role in the Giants’ pursuit of Schwartz if they decide to go that route. Schwartz would be an excellent fit for the Giants. He can slide in at right tackle with Ereck Flowers continuing to play at left tackle, a position he played fairly well as the season progressed.
The Giants have huge holes at defensive end, linebacker, safety and cornerback needing to be filled. It’s doubtful they will address the offensive line high in the draft after doing so over the last couple of years with Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg and Flowers all being selected in the first two rounds.
Signing a free agent like Schwartz, who is still just 26 years old, and is the epitome of health so far, makes too much sense for the Giants. He is the best right tackle on the market, and the Giants have the cap space to bring him in, or even pursue someone like Cordy Glenn or Russell Okung and slide Flowers over to right tackle.
The Giants will have plenty of options, but they need players who won’t wind up on the injury report. They aren’t rebuilding but instead are undergoing a massive retool in order to prevent the same injury issues that have plagued them in recent years. They led the NFL in injuries over two of the last three years and finished second last season. By cutting Beatty, Schwartz and Beason, the Giants are signaling a change and will try to find players who won’t break down.
